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Abundant snow geese make their way across Colorado

Snow geese are spectacular and abundant, and changes designed to reduce their numbers have met with only modest success. Hunting restrictions have been relaxed, but the birds remain hard to get. (David McNew, Getty Images)

The snows are returning to eastern Colorado. The Ross' geese can't be far behind.

That's traditionally how it happens, anyway. First come the waves of bright white snow geese beginning their return migration from New Mexico, Texas and Mexico back to the Canadian Arctic along the western edge of the Central Flyway. As the weather warms, the smaller but similar white Ross' geese will bring up the rear, marking the last major flocks of migrating waterfowl to pass through Colorado.

And as they do, the species collectively known as light geese will be marked by waterfowl watchers and hunters alike.

The lesser snow geese leading the swarm are considered to be the most abundant geese in the world, with a breeding population approaching 6 million. And while such abundance makes for a migratory wildlife spectacle akin to the African Serengeti or massive schools of salmon surging upriver as the birds unite to make their way north, it creates more than a few issues upon their arrival.

Monday signaled the start of the 2014 light goose conservation order season for hunters in Colorado east of Interstate 25, possibly the most dramatic example of wildlife conservation through hunting in existence. Since 1999, North American waterfowl hunters have been called upon to help cull the overabundance of midcontinent snow geese causing severe damage to their own arctic and subarctic nesting grounds vital to a variety of other waterfowl and wildlife as well.

Over the past few decades, light goose populations have snowballed as the birds have taken advantage of farm crops along migration routes and wintering areas. As light goose populations exploded to a more than 300 percent increase since the mid-1970s (more than 5 percent per year for the past decade), a committee of wildlife scientists led by former Ducks Unlimited chief biologist Bruce Batt recommended to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Canadian Wildlife Service that hunting regulations be relaxed in order to increase light goose harvests in hopes of reducing their populations.

Seasons were extended, daily bag limits were eliminated, electronic calls were permitted and shell capacities of shotgun magazines were expanded, among other measures. Although hunter harvests have subsequently doubled in North America, the action has had only a modest impact on the growth of many light goose populations.

That says as much about these birds' survival instincts as anything. According to Ducks Unlimited biologists, the expansion of the food supply has allowed more young birds to reach breeding age and more adults to return to the breeding grounds, where there are few natural predators. Although that creates more opportunities for hunters to step up in the name of habitat preservation, the reality is that light geese remain a challenge to hunt.

Hunting has traditionally served as an effective tool in migratory game bird population management, but snow geese are fast learners and have been conditioned to be wary of hunters. The birds are long-lived (an average of eight years and up to 20), and the large flocks they travel in provide thousands of shrewd eyes to study every potential feeding and resting spot for danger. Combined with their nomadic nature and the considerable investment in necessary equipment, the challenge of hunting light geese is enough to send many hunters in pursuit of other types of waterfowl. Scott Willoughby: swilloughby@denverpost.com or twitter.com/willoughbydp

High Plains Snow Goose Festival

The 12th annual High Plains Snow Goose Festival kicks off in Lamar and surrounding southeast Colorado on Thursday and runs through Sunday with dozens of programs and guided tours focused on the dramatic migration of the birds.

"One of the highlights of the weekend is the early Sunday morning bus tour. Participants can watch approximately 25,000 geese take off from local reservoirs and fly to their daytime feeding grounds," said Linda Groat, education specialist with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. "It's a truly amazing sight."

The festival and numerous programs are free, although field trips range in price from $10-$50, depending on the length and whether meals are provided. Would-be light goose hunters will want to take note of the waterfowl hunting seminar conducted by CPW District Wildlife Managers Kevin Mahan and Rick Gardner from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday at the CPW classroom (2500 S. Main St.) in Lamar. Topics will range from the basics for beginners to tips and techniques for the seasoned hunter.

Other highlights include discussions with Greg Miller, one of the birders featured in the Mark Obmascik book, " The Big Year," later made into a film starring Jack Black, Steve Martin and Owen Wilson. Miller will host a screening of the film at the Lamar Theatre on Saturday at 1 p.m.

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